Iran opens airspace to more Qatar flights, sends five planes of food

Iran has become involved in the crisis between Arab countries and Qatar by opening an air route with Doha.

A spokesperson of the Iranian Airlines said four flights took off from Tehran’s and Shiraz’s airports carrying food to Qatar. He added that Tehran is willing to increase the number of flights at Qatar’s request.

Iran has also decided to use the Bushehr Port as a commercial center between Tehran and Doha.

"So far five planes carrying perishable food items such as fruit and vegetables have been sent to Qatar, each carrying around 90 tonnes of cargo, while another plane will be sent today," Iran Air spokesman Shahrokh Noushabadi said.

"We will continue deliveries as long as there is demand" from Qatar, Noushabadi added, without mentioning if these deliveries were exports or aid.

Three ships loaded with 350 tonnes of food were also set to leave an Iranian port for Qatar, the Tasnim news agency quoted a local official as saying.

The port of Dayyer is Iran's closest port to Qatar.

(With AFP)

The Islamic republic has also opened its airspace to about 100 more Qatari flights a day, after Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates banned Qatari planes from their airpace.

The new flights have increased Iranian air traffic by 17 percent, the official state news agency has reported.